According to the U.S. Department of Education, a student must meet one of the following citizen or eligible non-citizen requirements in order to receive federal student aid:
Your eligibility status is determined at the point you submit the FAFSA to the Department of Education.
Ineligible Visa Types for Federal Financial Aid
If you are in the United States on any of the following visa types you are not eligible
for federal financial aid.
*F1 or F2 student visa
*J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa
*G series visa
If you have questions pertaining to your status, please contact our office and we will review your documentation and determine if you might qualify for the federal aid programs. Ultimately, the SSA and DHS have the final determination on your aid eligibility status and this is not a decision that our office can object to or overturn.
Alternative Financial Aid Options
There are some options you may explore that do not require you to file a FAFSA and meet the citizenship eligibility status. We have compiled a list of resources for International Students who do not qualify for Federal Financial Aid.
| IEFA - www.iefa.org |
International Education Financial Aid |
| eduPASS - www.edupass.org |
eduPASS provides general information as well as Financial Aid information for students considering studying in the U.S. |
| fastweb - www.fastweb.com |
fastweb is a great scholarship website, make sure to look for scholarships that may relate to selected programs of study |
| InternationalSTUDENT - www.internationalstudent.com |
InternationalSTUDENT provides information on schools as well as information on a special international student loan |